Today, there are all sorts of beautiful window and door designs that can be built into a home. Many people who are planning to build believe that choosing the right windows and doors will result in substantial energy savings. While it's true that the types of windows and doors you have can affect your energy bills, they have far less of an impact than having your home properly sealed and insulated.

While homeowners may notice the air leaks around doors and windows, the larger leaks near the attic and the foundation have a much bigger effect on a home's energy efficiency. During the winter months, heated air escapes through the leaks near the attic, creating a "chimney" effect that draws cold outside air into the home through leaks at the foundation level. Windows and doors are generally located in areas where this chimney effect is not as great.

Windows

Another reason that windows may feel leaky is because glass has less insulating value than the materials used in building a wall, so the air feels colder in front of a window. That colder air is heavier, so it falls to the floor, creating a drafty feeling. Keeping curtains closed can reduce this effect.

One old-fashioned solution that is very effective at preventing heat loss is using storm windows. In fact, adding a storm window to a single-pane glass window may cut your heat loss in half, and is normally more cost-effective than replacing a single pane with a triple-pane window.

Doors

As with windows, replacing a door for improved energy efficiency has less of an impact than making sure your home is properly sealed and insulated near its top and foundation. However, if you can see daylight around a door or do feel a strong draft, proper weatherstripping will help you feel more comfortable.

The best insulated doors are generally made of metal with a urethane, polystyrene, or fiberglass core. Wood panel and hollow core wood doors tend to be less effective insulators. Sliding glass doors tend to have the greatest heat loss, with French doors proving to be slightly more efficient because they have a tighter fit. With any type of door, the most effective way to reduce heat loss is to add a storm door (not a screen door).

To learn more about window and door choices, visit the National Fenestration Rating Council Web site.